The Park Avenue Tunnel is a 1,600-foot-long tunnel that runs between 33rd and 40th Streets on - you guessed it - Park Avenue. It was constructed in 1834, though at that time the tunnel was merely a cutout in the road with an open top.
Today the Park Avenue Tunnel, running between 33rd and 40th Streets is a passage for cars, but before it was a roadway for motor vehicles, it was a train and trolley tunnel. Constructed in 1834, it was originally built for the New York & Harlem Railroad (NY&H) as an open cut, which ran steam engines as well as horsecars. In the 1850s, the open cut was bridged creating a tunnel to boost public safety by removing the train from Manhattan’s surface. The Park Avenue Tunnel became of the city’s oldest, accommodating trolley trucks and two-way traffic.
Our friends at Untapped Cities recently published this great vintage photo of the tunnel from around 1899, showing a time when it was still used fro trollies and trains.
via Untapped Cities
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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